Bob Nault

[Aboriginal Affairs, October 21st, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I want to encourage Reform Party members. As we get into the debate, it will be very important for them to read the treaty. They should also ask us for a briefing, which will be very helpful.

As we talk about representation, I will give the Reform Party members an example of what representation means to the Nisga'a people. The member representing the Nisga'a and the people of the Nass Valley has 25 first nations. Out of those 25 first nations, 17 have not seen their member of parliament in six years.

[Aboriginal Affairs, October 21st, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, this is not about the Nisga'a people leaving Canada. It is about the Nisga'a people entering Canada.

One of the most important aspects of the treaty is that all non-Nisga'a will still be Canadian citizens and will still be able to vote for their MLA and their member of parliament. They will be able to participate on all the boards, including the education board and the health council of the Nisga'a people. They will have better representation than they are getting from the Reform Party.

[Aboriginal Affairs, October 21st, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, before I state why there are property rights, let me read what the member said not too long ago. On Saturday, September 11, Mr. Scott said that the successful negotiations of recent treaties in British Columbia are a good indication the system is working.

Let me make one further point. In this agreement land is held in fee simple, which allows people to go to the provincial registry to register land, which allows individual people to register their land. In fact it is not communal. The member should read the agreement.

[Aboriginal Affairs, October 21st, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I want to indicate to the member across the way that the first thing he should do is read the agreement. We purposely sent the agreement over to the member a number of months ago in order for him to have a chance to read it. In the agreement it states specifically that it is under the constitution, the people are under the charter, the Nass Valley and the Nisga'a people themselves. Also the member will notice in the agreement that aboriginal women are under provincial law and they will continue to be under provincial law.

I want to make one more point. This member said in the press not too long ago—

[Ways And Means, October 21st, 1999]

moved that Bill C-9, an act to give effect to the Nisga'a Final Agreement, be read the first time and printed.

(Motion deemed adopted bill read the first time and printed)

[Ways And Means, October 21st, 1999]

moved that a ways and means motion to implement certain provisions of the Nisga'a Final Agreement and the Nisga'a Nation Taxation Agreement, laid upon the table on Tuesday, October 19, be concurred in.

[Aboriginal Affairs, October 19th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, this will bring certainty and foster economic development in the member's backyard.

I would suggest to the member, knowing that he has 24 first nations of his own and he does not talk to them, that he get some advice from them. The advice they would give him is that this is the right thing to do for B.C., for that particular region of British Columbia, and for Canada in the long run. He should support it.

[Aboriginal Affairs, October 19th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the reason I am doing it is because it is the right thing to do for B.C. and for Canada.

[Ways And Means, October 19th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I take this opportunity to table a notice of a ways and means motion to implement certain provisions of the Nisga'a final agreement and the Nisga'a nation taxation agreement, and I ask that an order of the day be designated for consideration of this motion.

[Nisga'A Nation, October 19th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, today I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the Nisga'a final agreement and the Nisga'a nation taxation agreement.